Healing Childhood Trauma

If untreated, childhood trauma often has long-lasting consequences. Trauma affects children’s mood and their ability to regulate emotions, they are twice as likely to get depression and three times as likely to experience an anxiety problem. The sooner trauma is addressed through a method of therapy, the better the chance is for the child to have a successful recovery.

Symptoms of trauma

There are many different ways that symptoms can manifest in adults who are living with childhood trauma. There is no clear-cut guide to follow when diagnosing an adult with signs of trauma, however, they can be common emotional, behavioral, and physical signs that victims of trauma show. 

Emotional symptoms include anxiety, unresponsiveness, anger, depression, emotional outbursts, and panic attacks. Physical symptoms involve feeling shaky, night terrors, lack of energy, physical illness, sleep disturbance, and bad concentration. Behavioral symptoms involve eating disorders, impulsiveness, isolation, numbness or callousness, disorientation, and compulsion.

These are just some of the common symptoms of trauma victims, and people often exhibit several of these symptoms. Sometimes they show none at all. 

If you or someone you love are showing signs that they may have trauma, it is vital that you seek professional help from trauma treatment DC. Trauma treatment DC is able to give you the help that you need to overcome trauma and to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

Misconceptions around trauma

Adults who live with childhood trauma don’t necessarily live a life that is not full. However, trauma can start affecting the day-to-day life of an individual, and if this happens, it is vital to seek professional help. People often have misconceptions about adults who have been affected by childhood trauma. Three common misconceptions are that:

1.    Someone who was neglected or abused when they were a child will go on to neglect or abuse their children.

2.    Neglected or abused children grow up to become digressive adults

3.    The effect of neglect or abuse are not repairable, and adults will not be able to recover

These are all false. Overcoming childhood trauma is absolutely possible through therapy. The first step in healing childhood trauma is finding a therapist who is able to help you navigate through the neglect or trauma. 

Therapy for childhood trauma is usually provided in an outpatient manner through individual therapy or through groups.

Treatments for childhood trauma

Dealing with childhood trauma is a difficult but vital process. In therapy, adults are able to overcome their trauma. They can go on to raise healthy and happy families, be good citizens, and lead rich and fulfilling lives. Some treatments for childhood trauma include:

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

CPT is a type of cognitive therapy that is used to treat people who have PTSD. A typical block of 12 sessions has been shown to reduce trauma in sexual assault victims, children who have experienced trauma or abuse, and trauma in veterans. The focus of CPT is to help rationalize traumatic events which have been experienced by the victim.

Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT)

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of psychotherapy that is specifically focused on trauma, and helps patients change destructive patterns into positive solutions by using cognitive responses and awareness. Specialists have found success using TF-CBT in traumatized adults and children.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye movement desensitization and processing therapy is a type of psychotherapy where the subject recalls traumatic memories while they move their eyes in a rhythmic pattern. EMDR has been shown to decrease the effects which are associated with PTSD. EMDR courses usually last for 6-12 sessions.

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)

Narrative exposure therapy helps treat people who have multiple and complex incident trauma. NET involves laying an individual’s life out chronologically and putting context to events in their life, both at positive and traumatic points. The goal of NET is to help the individual understand traumatic events by putting their life into context.

Prolonged exposure therapy

Prolonged exposure therapy is a type of behavioral cognitive therapy where patients are exposed to their traumatic memories with the aim of helping them to understand and rationalizing the events. Prolonged exposure therapy has a long history of helping patients who are suffering from panic attacks, anxiety, and PTSD-related depression.

If you have trauma and you are choosing a rehab DC, make sure you choose one which has professionals who are trained in addressing trauma. A Rehab DC which has trauma therapists can help you to navigate both out of addiction and out of trauma. To ensure the highest chance of success, you must address both at the same time.